


The Web of Life in Which We are Entangled

by orphan_account



Category: Actor RPF, Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-02-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 07:24:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3438608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam had never thought he would amount to much in his life. He was unwanted and unnoticed by those who mattered. It wasn't until a woman dressed in white and a man in green and black came to the brothel that he began to understand the world around him in a broader context.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Web of Life in Which We are Entangled

**Author's Note:**

  * For [roryheadmav](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roryheadmav/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Cycle Of The Golden Apple](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1397620) by [roryheadmav](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roryheadmav/pseuds/roryheadmav). 



> Hello! I'm back with another fic. This is obviously based off of roryheadmav's Cycle of the Golden Apple. I love her fics so much. I suggest you all go read them, plus it will give you background information on what this story is about. Also while this does have a rape tag, it's not explicit. Not in the least. This story is not explicit. But just so you know.
> 
> For those of you who are wondering where the next part of the All Will Be Well series, it's coming along. I hope to have it up sometime in April. This one is just a bit more difficult to write.

Adam was a quiet, lonely boy with the capacity of being quite cryptic for being so young. When he was a young child, he suffered from disturbing dreams. The dreams mostly consisted of a pair of tormented lovers, how they were torn apart time and time again. They distressed him most times, feeling a sense of helplessness as he watched the dark haired lover weep as the other man died before him. His family did not understand him. They said they would grow out of them; that they were just dreams and he should pay them no mind.

His family never understood him, so he never went to them as the dreams continued. Instead he found a manner to express himself: music. Adam was a very talented musician from a very young age. He could read and write and compose. He had managed to save up enough money to be an oud. It was his only and his most prized possession.

The oud was second hand, scratched and abused. It took a long time to tune it just right. He spent hours strumming it, listening to the sounds and how best to place his fingers.

As he grew, Adam became increasingly isolated. His dreams worsened, showing things that had happened or had yet to come to pass. He could not go to anyone for help, for they would surely see him mad.

Other than his music, he had no other talents. Because he was the youngest of seven, his parents could not afford his education, so he remained at home most of the time. By the time he was old enough to think about becoming an apprentice, it became apparent that no one would want him. He was uneducated and talentless in all the ways that mattered.

The Daedalus family could not support Adam, so they took him and his belongings to the only place where he could be considered useful.

It was a brothel. Of course it had to be, for what place would ever take in an odd boy such as he? He was taken in and given a room and a job. He shared his room with another boy, older than he who had a reputation at the brothel for his flexibility in the bedroom.

Because of his age, the Madam who ran the brothel did not think he was ready to serve as the others did. He was used to clean and to serve and to cook. In his few and rare private moments he practiced his music. It was important to him to practice and compose whenever he could. It was this way that he could record his thoughts and feelings, putting what he could not say in words into musical notes. It was also a useful technique to escape from the life he did not wish he had.

The Madam eventually discovered his talent and encouraged him to develop it, even giving him time off to work on his repertoire. Eventually he was promoted to music performer for the brothel, providing an easy atmosphere for the clients.

When he was fifteen, he gained the attention of a sailor who wanted something young to share his bed. Now by this time Adam had never been approached by any of the brothel’s clients. They never took notice of him before, for he was always running about doing odd chores the Madam had given him. But now that he was easily seen by all in the main room of the brothel, clients began to take notice.

Adam had been cornered during a break in his performance. The sailor was quite deep in his cups but still had a few wits about him. He ran his hands down Adam’s body, stopping to cup and squeeze his sex. And it terrified Adam to the core. While he was fully aware of the nature of the brothel, he had never thought that he would become a prostitute.

And he didn’t. The Madam had noticed and put an end to the sailor’s advances, turning his attention to the young girls that could warm his bed for him.

“Never let anyone touch you, Adam,” the Madam said. “Never let anyone speak to you. You are not meant for that life. Now continue your music.”

As Adam got older, the more he had to watch out for himself and follow the Madam’s instructions. He was becoming quite attractive to a number of clients, but the Madam insisted that he protect his virtue. Adam never thought to question her actions and kept to himself, composing new music whenever he was alone. His dreams persisted, and he felt quite helpless to see the lovers so tormented and there was nothing he could to help them.

* * *

Years passed. As he neared his twenty-first year, there was a new visitor to the brothel. She was a mysterious woman, and Adam noticed her right away. She was not like the other clients who frequented. She kept her face covered and wore gloves. She never drank or ate at the establishment and never took a mate. She was simply interested in watching people from afar, skirting the edge of the room, hardly noticed by anyone but in plain sight of Adam on his lonesome stage.

She came every other night, each night watching Adam more and more and listening to his haunting music. She never approached him, never said a word, and left before the night was over. Adam wished he wasn’t forbidden from speaking to any of the brothel guests. He was very lonely, and the woman intrigued him like no other.

* * *

One time the woman disappeared for two weeks. And then she returned, and Adam could not be happier. She came with a companion, dark haired where she was fair but tall and slender like her. They both took notice of him, and when Adam got a good look at the man, he found that he already knew the stranger.

The man was one of the tormented lovers in his dreams. This was the one who would always weep as his lover was taken from him. This was Loki.

It came as a surprise to him when Loki and the woman approached him one day in private. They had paid a price to the Madam in order to see him, and Adam was quite flattered. He was so shy at first, speaking only when spoken to, keeping his eyes lowered. He had never received such a tender form of attention before. He was unused to it and he also wanted so much more.

They introduced themselves at first. Loki, the man said. Eve, the woman replied.

“Adam,” he said, smiling a little. “My name is Adam. What do you wish to know?”

“My request will seem quite odd to you,” Loki said. “I am looking for someone I loved, and I—”

“You think me him,” Adam said softly. “I’m sorry, but I’m not who you are looking for.”

“Are you sure?” Loki leaned forward, reaching out to clasp Adam’s hands, which were always around the body of his lute. “You may not believe me, but I have been through this many times before. You could be he reborn again in a different body. Allow me to search your memories.”

But Adam withdrew. It saddened him that he could not help Loki. His lover, Thomas, was somewhere else in the world. His dreams had shown him much, and he knew what lay ahead of Loki.

“I am so very sorry,” he said. “But I am absolutely certain that I am not the man you’ve been searching for. My family . . . they always thought me strange because I see and know things from my past and the future that no ordinary man should perceive. Because they could not understand me and provide the education that I needed, they . . . brought . . . me here. That is why I cannot be your Thomas because I know that I am not.”

He saw the hurt in Loki’s eyes and feared that he might not see him again after this. But that did not happen. Instead, Eve turned the conversation away from Thomas and Loki’s quest to be reunited with him. Here with their privacy, she unveiled her face and took off her gloves, asking Adam about his music and if he might play something for them.

Adam liked Eve. After discovering her secret—that she was a vampire—Adam learned that Eve knew much about the outside world. She had lived through many centuries and could teach him much about the world if he ever wanted to know. So he asked questions about things he heard from clients, and both Eve and Loki gave him answers.

Eventually he was called back to the main room to play more music. He stood to leave but looked back at the two, fiddling with the strings of his oud.

“Is it too much to ask if you could come back?” he asked. “I would very much like to speak with you again. The both of you.”

“We would love to, Adam,” Eve said. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

* * *

Life progressed as usual, and Adam looked forward to Eve’s and Loki’s visits. They came regularly, listening to the music he played for the clients and stealing away with him when he was finished. In secrecy they showered him with gifts. Nothing too elaborate or gaudy, but something he could use. They provided him with books and manuscripts, helping him grow and learn about the world outside of the brothel. Seeing as he had very little to give them in return, he crafted new pieces to play for them, hiding them away from those of the brothel. Those pieces were for Eve’s and Loki’s ears only. And they enjoyed it, especially Eve. She was fascinated by his talents in music, and he wished he could run away with her and show he all he had learned and where she could teach him freely.

It was with Loki that Adam sometimes struggled to connect. He thought that perhaps Loki still saw Thomas in him, in the sameness of his face and the way he spoke and the way he carried himself. He wished to make things better for the trickster god, even going so far as to telling Loki that it was all right if all he wanted to see in Adam was his lover, but Loki refused.

“I am not upset to see you, Adam,” he said. “I do not wish for you to become someone you’re not purely to please me. You are a wonderful man, but you are not Thomas, and I mean that in the most complimentary of ways. You are unique to him. You are your own person. Now please, show me what you have learned from Aristotle’s Theory of Tragedy.”

And Adam would discuss with Loki a many number of things, but deep down he wished to show him love like his lover would’ve been able to.

* * *

One day early the morning when the clients were stumbling out of their rented rooms to return to their jobs, Adam was called into the Madam’s personal chambers. There was a man there, a merchant from Portugal who would be staying for a long month in Tangier. Adam closed the door behind him when bided to, standing before the Madam and the merchant.

“This is our young performer Adam,” the Madam said. “He has yet to be touched by anyone. I assure you that he will be worth the price you pay.”

“May I see him?” the merchant asked. “I would like to know what I am paying for.”

“Of course. Adam, disrobe.”

Adam was shocked at first. He had been living here for nearly seven years and not once had he been touched in any way. But he disrobed because he had no choice. He let his clothes settled around his feet, folding his hands in front of himself to preserve his modesty.

The merchant came forward to inspect Adam more closely. Now Adam was taller than the man, but never before had he felt so small. Gently, the man pulled his hands way, baring his sex to the occupants of the room. A hand ghosted over his cock, trailing over his thigh before coming to rest on his bottom. A finger probed his entrance, and he gasped, surprised at the sudden tears that welled up.

The merchant stepped away, returning to the Madam’s side to negotiate about the price. All the while Adam stood there and waited, slowly pulling on his clothes, grateful for the cover the layers provided.

“Does the price satisfy you?” the Madam asked.

“Yes,” the merchant replied. “I find it fair. I shall return in three weeks.”

“And we shall be waiting. It was a pleasure doing business with you. Adam, return to work.”

Adam nodded and left the room as they shook hands. He knew what had just transpired. The Madam was selling off his unclaimed virginity to a wealthy client. She must’ve planned this from the start, keeping him pure until the right time and price came along. And he had only three weeks until his virtue was taken from him.

* * *

The next time he saw Eve and Loki, he was filled with a sudden urgency to learn something new. He thought that they might be able to show him how to act as a lover so he would be prepared for when the merchant returned.

He approached Eve first, asking her shyly if she would be so kind as to impart him with the wisdom only a lover would know. Perhaps she knew of some techniques to give and receive pleasure.

But Eve shook her head. “It’s not that I do not know,” she said. “It’s that I think they should be taught and learned under different circumstances. I am sorry, Adam, but I cannot give you what you want.”

Or maybe she didn’t want to damage him with her great strength. That was also a possibility, but he didn’t ask and turned his attention to Loki. Perhaps he might indulge Adam and prepare him for the upcoming night.

“Adam,” he said, taking the younger man’s hands in his own. “I am sorry. What you are asking for, I cannot give you. This is something you should experience with someone you love and trust.”

“But I trust you,” Adam implored.

“I know you do, but a matter such as this should occur with someone who cherishes you and loves you unconditionally. I am not that man for you. I am sorry.”

Adam nodded and pulled away. “Excuse me, Loki. I must return to work now.” He picked up his oud and walked out to the stage to being his performance.

* * *

He tried again, each time becoming more persistent than the last. Eve would always refuse him gently but would pull his mind away from such intimate matters to something greater and larger. And while he still wished she would indulge him, they never parted on bad terms. She showed him the world in the confines of the brothel, and for that he would be forever thankful for.

Eventually he gave up on trying to learn the art of love from Eve and focused solely on Loki. Time was running out, and he needed to know what would happen on that night. The frustration of not getting what he needed was distressing him. He tried to throw himself on Loki and convince him to come to bed, but Loki pushed him away again, keeping him at an arm’s distance.

“Adam, please,” he said. “You must stop this at once. I cannot give you what you want.”

“Cannot or will not?” Adam asked. “I know you and Eve will leave soon, and who then will show me such kindness?”

“You will not live this life forever, Adam. If you so choose, I can help you leave this place where you will be able to flourish and continue to study and write new music.”

But Adam shook his head. He never imagined a life beyond the brothel. He had no formal education, no useful skills for any passing merchants. A life beyond the brothel was unimaginable to him, and the only option he saw before him was hoping that Loki would indulge him so the night with the Portuguese merchant would not be so terrifying.

So he begged one last time, ashamed that the encounter drove him to tears

“Why won’t you show me how it is to love and be loved, Loki? Could you not pretend that I am Thomas?”

Loki looked away, dropping his hands and pulling away. “No, Adam,” he said. “I don’t think that’s fair to you. Please, you don’t need to do this.” Then he pulled Adam to him and embraced him tightly. Adam couldn’t help but let the tears fall.

“I know it must be frustrating,” Loki said. “Especially at your age when you desire more. But you must give it time, Adam. Be patient.”

And Adam resigned himself to his fate.

* * *

The day the Portuguese merchant would return Adam was excused from his duties. He was taken by two the serving girls and bathed in scented water. They put scented oil in his hair to make it shine and smooth. They combed it, plaited it, but left most of it loose around his shoulders. They perfumed his skin and lightly lined his eyes with kohl. His clothes were draped over his form with the intent of being easily removed from his body. A feeling of cold resignation settled over him some time in the early hours of the morning. He had very little appetite.

He was shuffled into the room in the afternoon. There he would wait until the merchant arrived. He did, not long after. With four other men.

Adam shied away at first. He didn’t know. He had no way of knowing that this night would be like this.

“Come here, boy,” the merchant said.

When he didn’t respond fast enough, he was pulled forward by one of the men. They stood around him in a half circle, waiting as his clothing was pulled off his skin to pool at his feet. He trembled now that he was faced with the situation.

He gasped when he was pushed forward by one of the men and landed in the merchant’s lap where he sat. With one hand on the back of his neck, Adam was drawn forward. The merchant sniffed along his skin. His other hand skimmed down his back.

“You are so beautiful,” the merchant said. “And tonight you are all ours.”

They didn’t wait for long. He was pushed back onto the bed and his legs were forcibly spread. The men marvelled at him and his fair skin. And then they closed in on him, and Adam wished he were very far away.

* * *

They were not kind, the merchant and his friends. They used Adam until there was nothing left, giving no thought to his well being or his pleasure. He was struck whenever he cried out or did something they did not like. They took everything from him and left him bleeding on the bed. He did not even have the energy to cover himself when they left. His eyes slipped close no longer after they left, and he couldn’t help but feel very hollow on the inside.

* * *

He woke up surrounded by warmth. His limbs were kept close to his body, but he didn’t feel trapped. He felt safe. He saw the stars above him. He was being carried. He struggled to see who, but he had a gut feeling.

“Loki,” he whispered.

“Yes, Adam. I am here.”

Over his shoulder, Adam saw unnatural green flames shoot up into the sky, and he knew that it must’ve been the brothel.

“My music,” he said absently. “It’s gone.”

“No, I have it,” Loki said. “And your oud. I have it all. Now rest. I will take care of you.”

* * *

When he woke again, Adam knew he was dying. He felt it in his bones, how sluggish and weak he was. His soul was marred, and it wanted nothing more than to be free of this mortal shell.

The room he was in was very dark, only lit by candles. He found his legs bent at the knees and parted, showing his grievous wounds to the occupants of the room.

He inhaled sharply when something cold touched his skin.

“Adam?” It was Eve. “Oh my love. Lie still now while Loki tends to your wounds.”

“I will not make it,” he said. “But I am thankful to have you in my presence for these last moments.”

“Don’t say such things,” Eve said, sitting down at his side, finding his hand among the nest of blankets. “Loki knows much in the arts of healing. We will make you whole.”

But Adam shook his head. “Not whole. I will never be whole again.”

After giving him some water and taking away the food he refused, Adam’s body was laid out and once again wrapped up in blankets. Eve and Loki left him to his rest. He fell into fevered dreams. He saw Loki with his lover Thomas. And they were happy. They were reunited, but it seemed like it would be a long time before that happened.

Before his dream ended, he saw them turn to him. Loki held onto Tom possessively, but Tom reached out to Adam, calling out to him. And a part of him wanted to go to them. He wanted to understand the depth of their relationship and why he had this connection to them. But he woke up before he made his decision in reaching out or pulling away.

* * *

When it became clear to Eve and Loki that Adam was beyond repair, they came to him with a proposition.

“Adam, darling,” Eve said. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” he said. “But there is no pain.” Loki had given him some strong opiates to dull the pain.

“I’m glad,” she said, smoothing the blankets out delicately across his chest. “I have a question for you, Adam. There is a way to save you, but it requires you to become a vampire. With me, you will be able to continue your music. I can take you away from this city and show you the world. It is a new life, but it is one of eternal night. What do you say?”

Adam closed his eyes. It was a big decision. As a vampire he would live forever. He would have forever to learn and to create. He could leave this place and never come back if he so wished. He could do whatever he wanted.

“Yes,” he said. “I would like that.” He could tell they were relieved. It was comforting that they cared so much for him. Perhaps this was what love was.

Before Eve could turn him, Adam requested Loki to sit by his side, for he wished to tell the god something.

“Loki,” he said. “I know how disappointed you are that I am not your Thomas reborn. You must be prepared for the fact that there will be certain lifetimes wherein your paths will not cross, and that you shall meet others, like me, who share the same face. Life is not a random thing; there are patterns which will help you to determine when there is a high probability that you shall meet again. I don’t believe that Thomas has forgotten you completely. Wherever he is, everything he does will all be for the purpose of getting reunited with you. Have faith, Loki. There will come a time when he will remember you, although the returning memories may cause enmity and resentment to arise between the two of you.”

Loki leaned close and gently caressed Adam’s cheek for kissing his forehead. Adam’s eyes closed at the intimacy of it.

“I’m truly sorry, Adam,” said Loki, “that it hadn’t been me.”

And Adam was sorry too that he hadn’t been able to comfort like he needed to be.

“Yes,” he said. “That too is my regret. But . . . you will show me what it’s like . . . between you and Thomas? Someday?”

“I will,” said the god. “I promise.”

He stepped away, and Eve came to sit by his side, pulling the blankets away and pushing his hair back to expose his neck.

“Will it hurt?” Adam asked.

“Only for a while,” Eve replied before leaning down and piercing his neck with her fangs. Loki left not long after, and it would be a very long time before Adam saw him again.

* * *

Adam was reborn in the night. His pains and aches were gone, but that wasn’t what he was focused on. There was this insatiable hunger that manifested inside his body, and it had to be sated immediately. Had it not been for Eve, he surely would not have made it that first night. She took him to feed, showed him who to feed from, and how to take control of the hunger. Eventually they left Tangier to travel the world. She took him everywhere, gave him everything, and in return he gave his love to her unconditionally. She was his maker, and the bond between them would be inseparable. For centuries they travelled and learned and lived as they could. It was exhilarating.

Eventually she taught him how to give and receive love in the most intimate matters. It was nothing like time with the Portuguese merchant and his friends. It was much more beautiful than that and sweet.

Over the centuries Adam made many intellectual friends. In their own way, they were all artists. They had the ability to create and make something wonderful from the ideas of their own imaginations. They saw the world as it could be and not as it was. But they were all mortal and lived such short lives. He lost many friends to age, and sometimes he wished he could turn them all, but Eve said it was their choice and that they couldn’t go around and turn everyone they befriended. She said you could tell by their lifestyle if they were meant to become a vampire. If they lived fast and made the most of their time on this planet, then they would die feeling fulfilled. Prolonging their life might not make everything better. And Adam slowly learned how isolating this eternal night really was.

* * *

They had three houses over the world. There was one they had for centuries in England that neither was willing to part with, especially Adam. Then there was Eve’s apartment in Tangier, where she spent much of her time with her dear friend Kit. Adam preferred his own home in Detroit It was secluded and the right size to keep all his stuff. Over the years he started collecting much like with Eve and her books after the printing press was invented. He collected rare instruments. He had an original Stradivarius violin and several antique guitars. He had lost his oud from when he was a child many centuries ago when he travelled with Eve. He thought that the Gibson guitar he had would fill the void it left, but then Ava came along and had to shatter his calm and orderly life. After a yearlong stay in Tangier with Eve, they were finally returning to Adam’s Detroit home.

Adam very much missed his home. His music, his instruments, his livelihood was here. And he couldn’t take anything with him except for a suitcase of clothing when they suddenly had to flee after Ian’s untimely death. Now he was home and he was very much looking forward to put his new lute to use. It was a kind gift from Eve, but here he had the equipment to expose the lute’s full potential. He had plans to stay in his recording studio until his creation took life.

Upon arrival of their home, they found a familiar face sitting on the steps of Adam’s porch. Now Adam’s dreams had persisted over the centuries and recently he discovered that the lovers were in peril. Thomas knew who he was, but was becoming less hopeful that he would ever escape from the endless cycle of life and death. Loki was becoming doubtful that he would ever find a way to free his lover. Adam felt helpless to watch them be torn apart again and again. The emotions that bled into him through his dreams were what made it so difficult for him at times to get out of bed at night. Seeing the god here at his house didn’t seem to bode well.

“I need your help,” the god said pitifully. “I really don’t know what do anymore.”

Eve predictably rushed to his side. “Oh, sweetie!” she said. “What happened?” She was always the more sympathetic one of them.

Left with the heavy suitcases, Adam grumbled and picked them up with his lute strapped to his back before heading inside with the both of them but not before Loki made the comment, “Your garden reeks of piss, Adam.”

Adam rolled his eyes. It seemed like this was going to be a very interesting visit.

* * *

Loki flopped down on the couch as soon as he managed. “WHAT A DRAG!” he said.

It was all too familiar to Adam, and Eve merely smiled to herself before she took up the suitcases and moved into the bedroom to unpack. Left alone with the god, Adam took a seat before his soundboard.

“Maybe you’re going about this the wrong way,” he said. “For centuries, you’ve been trying to stop Thomas from dying and it never worked. Have you thought to consider other options?”

“What other options are there?” The despair in his voice was strong.

“Thomas is always sure to die before he gets past the age of 35. The way I see it, you should either stop time or stop him from aging.” Loki was about to open his mouth, but Adam stopped him. “No, the golden apple doesn’t count. It gives you long life, but in actually, it merely slows down the aging process. Besides, it was the damned apple that started this whole mess to begin with.”

Loki seemed taken aback that Adam would dare think such a thing. “Honestly,” he said, “I was going to ask if you could turn him.”

That was something Adam hadn’t expected. “What?! With the very poor quality blood sources that we have right now? Everything is contaminated, especially zombies.” Kit had died because clean blood these days was so very hard to come by.

“I was thinking he could drink my blood.”

“Well, we don’t know exactly what Asgardian blood can do to a vampire.” It was an interesting thought. And Loki seemed to think it possible.

He gave Adam a seductive grin that slowly grew upon his face. His gaze was very hungry. “We could find out. After all, I still owe you a fuck.”

It was then that Eve decided to make her appearance, no doubt having heard their entire conversation. “Oh, goody!” she said. “Can I watch? I could set up the camera in the bedroom and record it, if you don’t want a live audience.”

“Eve, you will do no such thing.” Suddenly, Adam was picked up in the arms of the god, held like a bride on her wedding day. “LOKI!” he snapped, but he didn’t struggle.

“The bedroom, Eve,” Loki announced. “It’s time I showed your husband how we Asgardians do it.”

* * *

Despite his protests, the camera was set up; Eve smiling as she slowly closed the door. Adam was left with the god. Since his mortal life in Tangier, Adam had secretly hoped that one day Loki would take him to bed. He wished to know what it was that Thomas was so drawn to.

“Have you ever lain with a man before? After the incident with the merchant of course,” Loki asked as he slowly divulged Adam of his clothes.

“Yes,” Adam said. “I have.”

Once he was bare, Loki stooped down to kiss him gently before removing his own clothing. “Shame. I was hoping to have you for myself the first time.”

“It’s not like they’d be able to compare to you, so don’t think it a complete loss.”

Loki grinned. “Of course.”

They started slowly. Every touch was sure and sensual. Loki didn’t treat him like a piece of glass, but he treated him with the kindness Adam deserved. Their first coupling was slow and sweet. Adam savoured everything Loki gave him.

Adam had had sex with other men before, but he never found the same amount of pleasure he did whenever he was with Eve. Perhaps he had always hoped it was Loki instead.

They fucked well into the morning, and by that time Adam was exhausted. But Loki’s stamina was still strong, and because he was not yet through with Adam, he offered his blood up to the vampire.

“You’re sure?” Adam asked, running his fingers over the vein in Loki’s arm.

“Yes, of course. I have much to show you, and if we do turn Thomas into a vampire, I want to know if I can care of him. So take it.”

Adam latched onto Loki’s arm as delicately as he could. He only took enough to sustain himself, but even a single drop of Loki’s blood was enough to cure his exhaustion.

They fucked throughout the next two days, rarely taking the time to breathe. Loki took him in many different ways, showing him the full pleasure of being fully taken by a man.

Finally after those two days, Loki’s strength was sapped. He lay on his stomach barely conscious while Eve came in and took the camera away. Adam took the opportunity to admire his body, the lean muscles, the long planes of his back, and luscious curve of his ass. He couldn’t resist the temptation and bit down into the swell of one buttock. Loki tensed.

“Adaaam,” he groaned. “Noooooo.”

Adam smirked and pulled away, licking the spilled blood and sealing the punctures. “Sorry,” but he wasn’t. Not in the least.

“Adam.” It was Eve in the other room. “We’re all out of recordable DVD discs! Should I go out and buy more?”

“Please,” Loki said. “No more.”

“If I’d known that you were the cure for Adam’s depression, I would’ve called you up sooner. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to put up with his frequent bouts of existential crisis all these centuries.

“I’d die from the blood loss,” he replied, snuggling down in the covers.

Adam laughed as he pressed his lips to the god’s back. “Who’d have thought that Aesir blood can increase a vampire’s sex drive? I think I’ll turn your Thomas after all, so we could have a threesome. That would surely delight Eve.” It would also delight him greatly, for he also wanted to know what Thomas saw in Loki. He wanted to know their dynamic after watching them so many times in his dreams.

“Don’t even think about it,” the god said dryly.

Adam rolled away onto his side and stretched out before Loki. He was feeling superbly sated and content. Loki had given him much, and in return he truly wished to help the god. “Well, since you’ve given me such a nice treat, I’ll give you some information that you’ll be happy to heart and a little hit on how you might possibly solve your dilemma.”

“I’m listening.”

"A very reliable source in the entertainment industry told me that your Thomas will be in the Zombie State of the U.S. of A this 20th of July up to August. He's become quite a popular actor, your lover, and he'll be promoting two of his movies there. I have already taken the liberty of acquiring all-access passes for you. My contact will have them ready for you at the front desk of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel where Thomas will be staying."

Loki’s gaze sharpened. “And your hint?”

“I could still be wrong, mind you, but . . . you might be interested in learning more about the second film that Thomas is promoting.”

He knew Loki would be able to figure out a means to escape the curse. The film was a take on Peter Pan’s Captain Hook. Surely Loki would realize the importance in Neverland’s origins.

“Well, aren’t you a well of information? Let me rest, and I will go.”

“Yes, of course. Stay for however long you like.”

Loki nodded and folded his arms beneath his head. His eyes suddenly became wet. Adam touched his arm.

“What saddens you?” Adam asked.

“I fear we will never be rid of this curse,” Loki said. “I’ve fought this for so long, did everything I could, and yet Thomas is trapped in this cycle. I’ve thought of giving up many times. It’s only my love for him that I have not given up. Maybe I am wrong for him. I am the reason he is stuck in such an existence.”

“Don’t give up hope yet, Loki. If my dreams have said anything, it’s that you will find a way. Take heart, Loki. It will all work out in the end.”

* * *

Loki did eventually leave, and Adam and Eve were left to settle back into their house. Adam found a new lease on life and spent much of his time composing and listening to music. Eve enjoyed his new creations, helping him record and offering the critique he sought after. They would go out into the city at night and prowl. They didn’t hear from Loki for many years, and eventually Adam’s dreams stopped. He hoped that was a good sign, but it did make him worry.

Fifty years after their last encounter, Adam did meet up with the Trickster god once more. During this time Adam was packing the few belongings that were still in his house. Over the years the house had fallen into shabbiness. The structure was weakening, and the city was steadily growing. He would soon be forced out by construction, so he and Eve decided to retreat to their London mansion, which had been looked after for many centuries. She was there making sure his precious instruments and recording tools made it there safely. An anonymous donor had paid for their safe transport, and for that Adam was very grateful. He had his suspicions, and they were later confirmed.

A visitor knocked on his door, and Adam stood up to answer it. He was greeted with the sight of two very familiar faces. It was Loki. And Thomas.

“Thought we might catch you before you left,” Thomas said. “Sorry for the late notice.”

“It’s fine,” Adam said. “I’m used to unexpected visits from gods and so on. Hello, Loki.”

“Hello, Adam. We were in the neighbourhood and decided to see how the moving process was going.”

“Yes, well, thank you for the gift. I was worried that we might not be able to move everything in time.”

“Well, I couldn’t leave a dear friend hanging.”

“Hmmm.” He looked at them together and determined their moods. Loki was more relaxed than Adam had last seen. He kept a protective grip on Thomas’s waist, but that was to be expected. They were finally together. Thomas looked very well. All Adam knew of him was from his dreams. Naturally curly, blond hair, blue eyes, slender frame. He had musician’s hands and an athlete’s body with an intelligent mind and a loving heart and a kind soul. He was the total combination of all his reborn lives. This was Thomas reborn and whole once more, no longer split apart until his psyche could no longer take it.

Sometimes when Adam was alone and the darkness began to creep in, he thought about his connection to Adam and Thomas and all the other ‘thems’ out there. Sometimes he felt as if he was born out of the swirling energy that was caused by Loki and Thomas and the cycle. He didn’t know how else to explain the dreams. Sometimes he wondered if Thomas and Loki hadn’t met, then he might not have existed, that he was here solely to help Loki be reunited for Thomas, and that he had no other purpose in his life than this.

(Yes. Eve had certainly dealt with many of his existential crises over this matter. And she assured him time and time again that this was not the case. That there were many people born of similar body but that did not mean anything. They were still their own person with their own identity. It was merely a coincidence that they looked alike. His dreams were just a gift he had. He would exist whether or not Loki and Thomas had met. Adam was Adam and that’s all that mattered.)

“May we come in?” Thomas asked. “I thought we could help pack up and help see you off to the airport when the time comes.”

“That would be lovely. Thank you.” He took up Thomas’s hand as they walked into the house. His hands were soft, the fingers long, and the skin warm where Adam kissed it. He could smell the blood pumping under his skin, and it was intoxicating.

“It’s very nice to formally meet you, Thomas,” Adam said. “I’ve heard many things about you.”

Thomas blushed and grinned, looking at their joined hands. “Yes, well, it’s very nice to meet you, too. I hear you were a great help to Loki. I look forward to seeing you more often.”

“Likewise,” Adam said, glancing at Loki who was looking at them both with a hungry and dark gaze.

Their lives had been woven together since the start, and yet they were their own person. Adam the musician. Thomas the actor. Loki the god. They had been brought together to help each other in their time of need. Adam couldn’t help but think of the possibilities they had before them now. What they would be able to do with their lives now that they had control over them.

How they would develop in their friendships only time would tell. But Adam had a feeling that the links between them would only grow stronger.

And wouldn’t that certainly delight Eve?


End file.
